Coastal Forces Veterans

Hello again Jonathon I have amended my earlier entry above to include some additional units known to have been at Dartmouth but I am also emailing you with some additional resources for you to look through at your leisure for such detail as may be useful to you. I would also draw your attention to t...

Hello Jonathan According to Ben Warlow (Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy) Dartmouth II was commissioned on 1 February 1942 having previously been Britannia II, and was renamed Cicala in August 1943. 1942 2nd MGB Flotilla MGB 6, 7, 8, 10, 13 The 2nd M.G.B.Flotilla is temporarily re-allocated to...

We have sadly learned of the death of George Chandler, one of the very last remaining veterans, who 'crossed the bar' on 19 October, 2024, aged 99. George who was just a few months shy of becoming 100 was originally a member of South London Branch, being their last ever Chairman. He served on Motor ...

Hello Jem Thank you for the really great photo of your Dad and the crew of LRRC 29 which helps add an additional chapter to the history of MTB 682 as a boat. I don't have a photo of the boat in its Coastal Forces phase but hopefully one may turn up in future. It is interesting to learn of the RAF's ...

Hello Jeff Welcome to the forum. Most of the photographs of Dog Boats tend to be quite indistinct, but from what I can see of it, it appears there must have been fastenings at the back of the bridge at both corners and then extending across it, to permit each halyard to be fastened vertically, but a...

These photos from ADM 199/2445 — Notes on Coastal Forces HMS Excellent — held at the National Archives show MTB 5014 in the process of being converted to a RAF Long-Range Rescue Craft (LRRC) 007. MTB 5014 Fairmile 115' D-Class Motor Torpedo Boat Builder's Yard: Woodnutt, Bembridge, Isle of Wight Com...

These photos of MTB 650 are derived from ADM 199/2445 — Notes on Coastal Forces HMS Excellent — held at the National Archives. They are part of a set of photos whose primary focus is the armament of various Coastal Forces boats, in particular gun armament, ready ammunition lockers and provision for ...

Hello Roger

Yes that's no problem. I will post the images I have in the thread which already exists for MTB 650 and in addition will email you with some other resources.

Admin

Chris One more, this time from ADM 116/5493 Ostend Board of Enquiry, featuring MTB 464, the boat held responsible for the discharge of fuel into the harbour at Ostend, which led to the fire and explosion there. You may have seen this one before but possibly not on this scale. mtb-464-at-ostend-natio...

Unfortunately not Chris. These are the only three photos of a British Power Boat within this particular set, which fortuitously happens to be one of the Canadian boats. The others in the file are for Fairmile Ds MTB 632 & MTB 650, then MTB 733 showing arrangement of depth charge racks after the ...

Hello Chris

This is the closest I can get you with some photos of MTB 491 which are contained within ADM 199/2445 Notes on Coastal Forces (HMS Excellent) at the National Archive in Kew

Regards
Admin

London Branch has been informed of the following: AB Harold Ernest Danks DSM Radar Operator on MTB 442 1942/1943 under the command of Lieutenant Charles Arthur Burk R.C.N.V.R., died peacefully at the age of 100 on the 20th July 2024 at his care home. MTB 442 formed part of the third iteration of the...

Hello tashields Thank you for the notification of your book about Tommy Shields. Our boats database records the loss of his boat along with 1311 but little other details so Tommy Shields account will help plug a gap in the knowledge of events around that time in the Mediterranean. I couldn't find an...

Hello and welcome to the forum

Thank you for your offer of the log for MTB 730 for D-Day. We would certainly appreciate copies of any resources you have relating to your grandfather's service with Coastal Forces, if you wouldn't mind getting in touch with us at info@cfv.org.uk.

Regards
Admin

Hello Parrettbrand Welcome to the forum, and it's never too late to join the 'party' on any thread since research is always ongoing and it's aways great to add a new name, or photo, or piece of information to our knowledge about the subject. The original poster was researching the anti-submarine rol...

Hello Goldhawk and welcome to the forum. Thank you for your efforts in remembering your father and his colleagues via a commemorative brick in the Normandy Memorial Wall, as well as the one for HMS Mantis. By way of clarification for ML 197's 'superb P.O. Motor Mechanic' the awards for ML 197 record...

crew-of-mtb-769-at-hms-mantis-lowestoft.jpg The crew of MTB 769 of the 63rd MTB Flotilla at Lowestoft (HMS Mantis) Known Members of Crew Ordinary Seaman Gerald Du Boulay C/JX 473658 Temporary Lieutenant Wilfred Norman Dye RNVR Midshipman John Christopher Goulden RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Ronald...

London Branch has sadly learned of the death of its Chairman Eddie Dibley. Eddie 'crossed the bar' peacefully at home on 20 April, 2024, aged 98. Eddie served on MTB 757 of the 66th MTB Flotilla which took part in mine clearing operations at Le Havre, and he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 2022 ...

Hello Manty769 Thank you for joining the forum. Just to add a bit more information, the Navy List January 1945 records the following officers for the boat: Temporary Lieutenant Wilfred Norman Dye RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant John Wilson RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Ronald Hedgecox RNVR Midshipman ...

Coastal Forces Veterans has learned of the death of Ron Metcalfe, on 28 February, 2024. Ron served on MGB 52, ML 906 and MTB 758. ML 906 was part of the 19th ML Flotilla, equipped for a minesweeping role in late 1944. The flotilla took part in operations in the Schelde in November 1944 as part of th...

Coastal Forces Veterans were informed of the death of Roy Shepherd on 10 February 2024, aged 98. The CFVA membership list records him as being Able Seaman with ML 578 of the 28th ML Flotilla based at HMS Nile at Alexandria. Roy’s flotilla is shown in the February 1945 Red List as operating in the Ae...

Coastal Forces Veterans have learned of the death of Roy Wickham, on 24 February, 2024 aged 99. Roy was just a few weeks shy of his 100th Birthday on 17 March this year. The membership lists records him as an AB/Radar on MTBs 348 and 504, and that he earned a Mention in Despatches. MTB 348 was part ...

Hello mlQ488 Thank you for your enquiry concerning your late father and ML 488, and welcome to the forum. I don't have a copy of the minelaying operations referenced in the piece on Minewarfare Heritage web site, but I have copies of the Admiralty Diaries downloaded from the American Archives from w...

On this day, 27 January, the Coastal Forces Veterans web site is marking Holocaust Memorial Day, as it has done over several years now. Now more than ever, it is imperative to do all in our power to uphold the rule of law, in respect of life and liberty, in respect of the means (including territory)...

Hello Roger Bit of a mystery I'm afraid. I managed to have a look at a copy of Jane's Fighting Ships for 1969–70 but there is no HMS Fathomer for any navy. The Royal Navy by that date only had the two Fast Patrol Boats, Brave Borderer and Brave Swordsmen, plus two of the old Dark Class still retaine...

That is indeed the remains of the boat which were lifted dockside after the explosion.

I'm not sure Bernie. The descriptions and eligibility page makes mention of a clasp with the title of the second star earned worn on the first, so I don't know if this is the same as a silver rosette, or if that something 'unofficial' or ungazetted? If your father has three stars, then it can't be a...

Hello Bernie The Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility page on the GOV.UK web site confirms the findings of the earlier post about only the first star being issued where there is eligibility for two, with a clasp for the second worn on the first instead. The same holds true of the Burma an...

Hello Paul

Thank you for the photograph of your father and the crew of 532. Do you have a year in which this photo was taken by any chance?

Regards
Admin

If anyone has any more information about the operation at Kelibia Point, please post all you know. I have found contradictory information in a number of sources, such as the claim that the Italian TB Sagittario was sunk by MTB 639 torpedoes...was MTB 633 damaged during this operation? Thank you for...